Decently-told if predictable stories, with satisfying levels of gore. I'm a leftie liberal but after so many issues that seemingly aimed to bludgeon readers to death with the heavy-handedness of their message, the first story was practically refreshing - though I'd prefer to see the editors take on more nuanced stories over wild swings in the opposite direction. All the stories made sense (not always a given), and both art and storytelling show significant improvements over Epitaphs. All in all, a decent start.

Cruel Universe has been the most uneven of the EC reboots IMO and this issue is a prime example. I have no issue with these stories as vehicles for political satire and social commentary, but the first story was so on the nose as to feel painfully regressive. It's 2025, not 1955 - can we please have a more sophisticated critique of our uniquely troubled times? The second story is poorly conceived - why make such a big deal about the dolphin translation device when it barely figures? - and the third is just bland and predictable. Give us something we can't predict from the first panel, please!

Possibly the best issue to date. The stories are fleshed out with more context and dialogue than in previous issues, giving the writers more time to elaborate on their core premise and the reader more time to be immersed. Hughes' story mixed philosophy and humour and was a welcome counterpoint to some of the previous heavy-handed moralizing. Pheromone was well-told. All in all, an issue that does justice to the EC name.